It is interesting to consider the degree to which writings reveal writers.  One factor must, of course, be the subject matter.  An autobiography can be revealing or concealing.  Through the autobiography, the writer – when brutally honest – tells all, and readers are exposed to “aha moments” in recognition of assumptions made while reading the author’s other books.  Conversely, the autobiography may be far less revealing by virtue of the unwillingness of the author to be transparent!

A biography, or history book, is a different kind of fish.  The reader of Mediko will learn much about Raph Thomas, and a little about the author of the book.  Still, I was not able to include the contents of every letter, nor was I always able to discern the physical, emotional, and familial context of the letters read.  I made no effort to write a hagiography of Dr. Thomas, but my fascination with his life and the lives of those around him through the years is certainly apparent!  Certainly, there is much more to the life of each character in Mediko than is even hinted at in the book. Perhaps the selection of the available sources tells the reader more about me – my interests, my beliefs, my limitations, etc. – than I intended.

The delightful truth is that whether fiction, or non-fiction, the book always reveals a lot about the writer.  That is good.  The literary critic, the English class teacher, the book reviewer, and the interested reader can look beyond what is written to fill out the story – of the characters and the author!  I hope you will enjoy doing that with Mediko!